Corrin Campbell & The Election step out of the trenches and into the public’s eye to give you Game Night. Corrin Campbell formerly served as a US Army bassist in the 1st Cavalry Division–combat vet and is currently working with the Army Material Command Band. Another member of The Election, Tony Corbett, is…
Category: REVIEWS
CD and DVD reviews
Oh No Ono, Eggs
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Right off the bat, I want to give major kudos to Friendly Fire Recordings. They are serious about their vinyl, and the proof is in the pudding. Warm, beautiful, mouthwatering pudding. From the moment I laid eyes on this record, I knew it was something different. The album artwork is exquisitely intricate, an ornate collage…
Remember September, The Roads We Travel
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There are a few things that come to mind when I think of the month of September. The first and foremost would be the unfortunate tragedy that hit us all on that unforgettable day of 9/11. Labor Day, the first day of fall and of course my mom’s birthday would be other events…
Good Shoes, No Hope, No Future
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Sophomore albums can be a tricky thing. Many bands try to up the ante and go for broke as they try to improve their debut’s sound with new studio tricks and elaborate instrumentation that are meant to impress a listener. The London-based band Good Shoes is not one of those groups though. On the contrary,…
Stellar Vector, A Flock of Cowards
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Stellar Vector hails from Minneapolis, MN and the founding members are: Charles Sadler on lead vocals & keyboards and Jonathan Ford on rhythm guitar. The two members got their start playing at First Avenue where Prince actually played many times. This venue was even used as the main spot for the movie, Purple…
The Mary Onettes, Islands
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Every ten years years, we’re nostalgic for a time twenty years ago. The Mary Onettes are no excuse to this rule. With a style mimicking New Order, The Cure, The Smiths and other 80‘s cult bands, The Mary Onettets can outdo most bands you hear on radio today and even in the 80’s. …
Robert Pollard, The Devil Went Home and Puked: Robert Pollard’s Rock Show
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Spanning the carers of both Guided By Voices and Robert Pollard’s side projects and now main projects after Guided by Voices split (including songs such as “Circle Saw Boys Club,”“Winston’s Atomic Bird” “Get Me Extra”) this D.V.D is ram-shackle attempt to make a video collage that demonstrates life on the road, performing and being in…
Cook & Uno Mas, C&U Music Factory
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C&U Music Factory is an album that demonstrates Cook and Uno Mas’s flexibility. There are edgy rock chords, swirling guitar melodies, 808 beats, turntable acrobatics and RnB grooves that amount to an incredibly varied sound. One theme does permeate the album and that is the clear message that these rappers stay true to their craft…
My Glorious, Home Is Where The Heart Breaks
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This Vienna, Austria-based rock trio are bringin’ the ugly truth to the forefront with no sugar coating. However, the overall sound coming from these three musicians is far from ugly. What I heard on this new record were straight rock grooves mixed with a raw & brutally honest sound. My Glorious offers…
Hot Wax, Grant Hart
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“All limits are self imposed.” Icarus* After Hüsker Dü split, Grant Hart moved from drums to singing and playing guitar. He’s been of working on his sixth release Hot Wax for the past few years. Featuring appearances from members of Godspeed You Black Emperor, Silver Mt. Zion and Rank Strangers, Hot Wax has some…
Calvin Harris, Ready for the Weekend
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Calvin Harris has a knack for making infectious, intelligent and funny club music that has a sense of humour. Ready for the Weekend features 14 catchy little numbers are sure to make you dance, and clap your hands. Over the years he has worked with Kylie Minogue and Example (even turning down a…
Los Campesinos!, Romance Is Boring
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Romance Is Boring, the third proper LP from Los Campesinos! is also the 50th release from Arts & Crafts, the Toronto indie label best known for their family-like attitude and releasing records from all manner of groundbreaking artists. A landmark release, or simply a coincidence? You’d have to think that after releasing three records in…
The Smith Westerns, The Smith Westerns
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Devices like Autotune and albums like Heidi Montag’s Superficial have many worried about the future of music and how authentic things may turn out. (Although the universe scored a big win with the weak sales of Superficial. Right on, universe.) But with bands like The Smith Westerns around, the universe may have scored another big…
Enation, World in Flight
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He may be known best as General Hospital’s Lucky, but Emmy-winning soap actor Jonathan Jackson maintains a double-life as a sensitive, sometimes brooding modern rock singer-guitarist in Enation. Much of the material on the Pacific Northwest band’s World in Flight is driven by echo-laden guitars reminiscent of U2, splashes of piano that call to mind…
Snowblink, Long Live
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The earthy feel of Long Live, the stunning latest release from Snowblink is one that ought to be soaked in with full attention. The rumbling and organic folk that gives weight to Daniela Gesundheit’s spirited, haunting voice is well-crafted and subtle. But the true beauty of Long Live, as exemplified on tracks like the rolling…
Kurt Vile, Childish Prodigy
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When Neil Young gets brought up in conversation, rare is the person who wouldn’t describe his sound as “Huge” or “Loud.” And while Kurt Vile does indeed get his murky, Young-influenced groove on with a penchant for an unadultered wail on Childish Prodigy, it’s the lo-fi approach which Vile takes that sets himself apart from…
Marc Copland, Alone
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Marc Copland is by himself at the piano, just he and his thoughts tickling the ivories. By definition, Marc Copland is alone. Alone with his remarkable talent, his passion, and his emotions, all of which you hear on his aptly titled album, Alone. Each song on this fascinating album showcases not only Copland’s phenomenal talent,…
Asa Brebner, Suenos De Los Muertos
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This singer/songwriter from Boston has been a major staple within the city’s music scene for over 30 years now. Suenos De Los Muertos is a highly anticipated album for Brebner because it is the first in four years. With life-changing experiences hitting Asa over these last four years, it seemed like perfect timing…
Linda Brooks, The Spaces in Between
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Linda Brooks is a singer/songwriter from Canada who has a lot to say after years away from music making. Her debut album, Under A Painted Moon, earned her an East Coast Music Nomination for Best Female Artist. After that, motherhood came calling as Brooks had a family to raise and therefore her music…
Levit/Susilo, Asmarandana
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The new record, Asmarandana, features two highly talented individuals whose names are Emiko Saraswati Susilo & Rob Levit. Susilo handles all of the fine vocals on this album while Levit takes care of all the plush guitar parts, percussion, song arrangements, original album paintings and production. The duo has united as one to…
Daniel Hales & The Frost Heaves, Frost Heaves
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Daniel Hales and The Frost Heaves may be based out of western Massachusetts but they sound like they should’ve come from Athens, GA. Hales offers an even mix of airy psychedelic melodies and raucous alt-country barn burners, drawing from the likes of groups like REM, Flaming Lips and Wilco. It’s a sound that wouldn’t be…
Girls, Album
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Album, the debut release from Girls garnered all kinds of buzz in 2009. Visceral to the Nth degree, this loose and jangly collection was ode to the dreams of youth which arrive and dissapear so flagrantly. And it was exactly the kind of obnoxious shot in the arm the indie world needed. It’s an interesting…
Basia Bulat, Heart Of My Own
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Heart of My Own, the latest from Basia Bulat is as powerful as it is beautiful. The folk songstress captivates listeners with her warbling howl, which reaches new heights on Heart of My Own. After touring her debut, Oh, My Darling extensively, Bulat has gone and perfected her ability to let her howl rise and…
Audio And The Earthling, Crazy Moon
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It’s amazing to think that this album, Crazy Moon, happened by complete chance. Singer/Songwriter, Dave “Davo” Evans walked into a Missoula, Montana studio just wanting to record some folk songs. Next thing Evans knew, Ryan “Shmedly” Maynes would turn Dave’s folk music into an Electronic, Dance Explosion! Maynes wasn’t only the studio…
Jessie Murphy In The Woods, Eight Belles
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Coming from the same anti-folk scene as Regina Spektor, Jessie Murphy in the Woods is made up of Jessie Murphy, Marcia Wood, and Amy Wood (All NYC public school music teachers) who play oodles of instruments ranging from a melodica, pan pipes to an auto harp. Their diverse musical talents (which are mind-blowing…
Tribella, Thirteen
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Tribella is coming back strong after the release of their EP, My Guest List, two years ago. This Austin, Texas-based trio is now offering you thirteen ways to experience their one-of-a-kind sound. Their style stands out because there is so much being heard on this new album from 80s New Wave/Pop Rock to…
The Ted Painter Band, Keepin’ It Real
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This review marks another first in my tenure at Skope Magazine in that this is the first time I have reviewed back-to-back country acts. Former U.S. Army infantryman turned country crooner Ted Painter has released Keepin’ It Real, a five-track EP of contemporary country-fried tunes that run the thematic gamut from kids coming of age…
Feldiken, Small Songs About Us
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Feldiken’s debut album, Small Songs About Us, is an album that EVERYONE can enjoy. The record focuses on relationships, but more importantly Feldiken emphasizes the importance of connecting with people. Small Songs About Us really does pertain to us then, as a whole. We’re ALL in this thing together, so why not…
Kate Cameron, Conviction
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It’s hard to believe that a 16-year-old girl could write such a compelling piece of work, but that is the case here with Conviction. At just 16, Kate is the sole singer/songwriter on this new project as well as playing the role of guitarist & pianist. Boston area-based studio owner and producer, Bob…
Beach House, Teen Dream
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Ever had the feeling that you’re not sure if you’re awake or dreaming? From the moment you set eyes on Beach House’s latest release, Teen Dream, something about it seems intangible. The cover art’s pastel zebra striped imagery has a certain unworldly feel to it, washed out to the point of near-nonexistence. Seldom does album…
Arek Religa, In Memory of the Greatests
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Non-stop instrumental music at its finest is what you get here from the 13-track CD, In memory of the Greatests. The Polish guitar sensation, Arek Religa, is the man of the hour as he wrote, arranged, produced and performed all the songs on the disc. Religa even engineered, mixed and mastered the entire…
Susan Elizabeth, Wine and Cigarettes
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Susan Elizabeth is bringing you an album that will relate to so many people on so many different levels. Elizabeth gets extremely personal on this record as she refers to this project as the “soundtrack of her life”. The new album touches on Susan finding herself, discovering Buddhism, discussing a past marriage/divorce and…
The Sumner Brothers, The Sumner Brothers
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I must begin this review with a confession: I am very weary of contemporary country. It seems that what gets churned out of the Nashville machine is either too “boo hoo” or too “Yee Haw” for this correspondent’s liking and my reviews tend to reflect this. That being said, the new self-titled album from The…
Hollerado, Record In A Bag
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Hollerado are nothing if not one of the most unique acts coming out of Canada at the moment. Record In A Bag, the band’s debut is a fresh, wholesome listen. The band may be young, but their punkish charm is so damn flagrant that they give new meaning to “Throwing caution to the wind.” “Do…
The Band of Heathens, One Foot In The Ether
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From the opening slow, grooving foot-stomping crunch of “L.A. County Blues,” you know that One Foot In The Ether, the latest from The Band Of Heathens isn’t a record to be taken lightly. Full of the kind of blue collar grit that country-rock ought to possess, The Band Of Heathens walk with a boisterous swagger…
NUKE THE SOUP, MAKE WAVES NOT WAR
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Nuke The Soup is an all-original & brand new project thanks in part to the vision of veteran musician, Mark Davison. Davison is the lead singer/songwriter while also handling guitar parts and Mark is actually the founding member of Cubic Feet. This music vet from Maryland even came up with the group logo, which…
The Thermals, Now We Can See
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The last thing the world needs is another generic power-punk three piece. But the first thing that the world needs is more of Portland’s The Thermals. Quite simply, this is power-punk with a potent message. There is nothing generic about these three; Now We Can See, their latest screams with youthful urgency. Not bad for…
Ocote Soul Sounds & Adrian Quesada, Coconut Rock Deluxe Edition
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Listen up, this is how everyone should make an album. A brilliant mix of of genres, it blends seamlessly into a psychedelic/Latin/funk/dub masterpiece. I’d bet money that you’ll be tapping your toe or dancing along to it’s hypnotic rhythms by track five. Sounding like Frank Zappa decided to do a Latin infused album with DJ…
William Funk, The Veronica Sessions
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With a friggin’ cool name like William Funk and a hot new record, what more could you want? According to William Funk, there is a lot more to life than a rad name and a bunch of new songs. There is a much bigger purpose & meaning behind the making of The Veronica…
Fanfarlo, Resevoir
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It’s hard not to fall wickedly in love with Fanfarlo, the indie-pop five piece out of London. Their melodies are plumb, their rhythms brim with joy, complemented by an array of strings and horns. And lead singer Simon Balthazar coos in such a healthy and enlightening manner that hasn’t been heard since the likes of…
